Counting and marking method and machine



Dec- 21 1926. 1,611,762

c. B. MAXSON OUNTING AND MARKING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed July 24, 1924 5 Shee tsSheet l C. B. MAXSON COUNTING AND MARKING METHOD AND MACHINE Dec. 21 192.6.

Filed July 24, 1924 Dec. 21 1926. 1,611,762 c. B. MAXSQN COUNTING AND MARKING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed July 24, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet s 116,11 I Z i nla /lal Dec. 21 1926. 1,611,762 c. B. MAXSON COUNTING AND MARKING METHOD AND MACHINE V Filed July 24, 1924 5 sheets-sheet 4 "ail Dec. 21 ,-1926.

C. B. MAXSON COUNTING AND MARKING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed July 24, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet Patented Dec. 21, 1926. l

UNlTE STTELS CHARLES BENJAMIN MAXSON, OF TESTER/LY, RHJI-E ISLAND, ASSIGNOE 03E ONE- HALF TO JULIAN W. MAXSON,

OF WESTEELY, RHQZDE ISLAND.

COUNTING AND MARKING METHOD AND MACHINE.

Application filed July 24, 1924:.

The present invention relates to counting and marking methods and machines, and more particularly to methods of and machines for counting the number of sheets of paper or the like that are delivered by a sheet-delivery machine into a lay-boy or other magazine, and for marking or separating the sheets so delivered into bundles or reams, each containing a predetermined number of sheets.

According to the machine disclosed in a copending application, Serial No. 5633M, filed May 24, 1922, the sheets delivered into the lay-boy are counted and separated into reams of 4-80 or of 500 sheets, depending upon whether one or another counter is used. The separation is effected by paper tags that are automatically inserted between suc cessive reams by mechanism controlled by the counters. The sheets may be delivered into the lay-boy either singly or in multiples and the counters may be adjusted to count by units or in multiples, to correspond, so that the paper tags are always inserted between successive reams irrespective of how many sheets are delivered into the lay-boy at each operation.

-When the sheets are delivered into the lay boy in multiples, however, care must be taken that the said multiples shall be factors of the total number of sheets in the ream, else the count will not be accurate. For example, if the sheets are delivered by fives, the counting and marking will proceed just as accurately and efliciently as though the sheets were delivered one at a time. All that is necessary is that the counter shall be adjusted to count fives, instead of units, and the tags will then be inserted at the end of 100, instead of 500, operations of the 500- sheet-ream counter, or at the'end of 96, instead of 480, operation of the 480-sheet-ream counter.

If the sheets are delivered into the layboy by threes, for example, however, the 500- sheet-ream counter will not count and marl: accurately. The counter will, of course, be adjusted to count by threes; but it will cause a tag to be inserted between the first and the second reams at the end of 167 operations, and the first ream will thus contain not 500, but 501 sheets. A tag will be inserted between the second and the third reams after another 167 operations, so that Serial no. 72?,93G.

the second ream, too, will contain 501. sheets.

A tag will be inserted between the third and the fourth reams after 166 operations o1 the counter, and the resulting third ream will thus contain only 498 sheets; The total number of operations of the counter, corresponding to the three reams, will, of course, be exactly 500; and as each operation of the counter corresponds to a count of three sheets, the total number of sheets thus dolivered anu counted will total 1500, or e2;- act-ly three reams. The operation will thus be continued indefinitely in cycles of three reams, the first two reams having one sheet too many, aud t-he third ream two sheets too few. I

If the sheets aredelivered into the layboy six at a time, some of the 500-sheet reams will be found to have four sheets too many, and others three sheets too few; if eight at a time, the excess and the deficiency will be four sheets; if nine at a time, some of the reams will have four sheets too many and others five sheets too few; if eleven at a time, some of the reams will have six sheets too many and others five sheets too few; and if twelve sheets are delivered at a time, the excess number will be four, but the defective reams will lack as many as eight sheets. 7 i

LSO-sheet reams will some, of them have an excess of three sheets and others a deficiency of four if seven sheets are fed at a. time; an excess of six and a deficiency of three if nine sheets are led at a time; and an excess of four and a deficiency of as many as seven if eleven sheets are fed at a time.

In paper mills, after the rolls of paper have been produced in the paper-making machines, the next step is to sever the rolls into sheets and to separate the sheets into reams. As many'rolls as desired may be operated upon simultaneously in the same machine. To be compelled to restrict the simultaneous operation upona number of rolls that is an exact factor of the number of sheets in a ream is usually a serious matter. If there are nine rolls of paper available, for example, it would be possible to divide them into reams each having the required number 01 sheets by performing); two distinct operations, rst upon five oflhe rolls, and later upon the other four. But this means a duplication of time and. labor.

- provide unimproved counting-and-ma rking method and machine that shall yield'loundles t is preterred to sever all nine rolls, and

to separatethem into reams, all in one oper-- ation.

The purchaser of the reams will not, of

i'course, object ifthereare too many sheets 1n the ream; but it 1s a different matter- When the sheets are too few in number. It

therefore becomesnecessar to move the tags up or down in the stack of sheets in the layboy to correct for the error in the count.

This isunecononncal and, turthermore in,

accurate.

Anolnect of thepresent intention 15 to or groups of articles each having always the vi same number o'lf articles, irrespective of the number of articles that may be counted at each counting operation.

Other ob1ects Will appear hereinafter-and will be particularly pointed out'in the apmarked in accordance with the present in vention; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion oithe operating mechanism of the tagteedmg devices. the view being" enlarged with respect to Figs. 1 and 2v and the parts being shown in the relative positions occupied hy them-when the tag-feeding devices are ineffective; .Fm'. t is a similar "WW. with the parts in relative positions such as to render theatagieeding devices effective to feed the tag; Figs. 3 and 4; are similar views, showing further steps in theoperation; Fig. is a section. upon the same scale, of a portion of thesaid operating mecha nism. the section being taken generally upon the line otFi i. 3. looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is aside elevation illustrating a preferred embodiment otthe present invention. showing indotand-dash lines. a portion of themachine illustrated in. Fig. lyupon an enlarged scale 'Fig. -7 is a section takensubstantially upon" 'the line T 7 otFig. 11. looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 8 is a plan of "the intermittently operat ing tag-feedinndevice and associated parts. shown enlarged with respect to Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is aside elevation of the. structure shown in Fig. 8; F 10 isa t'ront elevation of the (it-Mintercontaining rasing shown enlarged in Fig.

6:1Fig; 11 is a vertical. section of the same.

taken substantiallyupon the line 1111 ot Fig. 6. looking in the direction of the an rows; Big. 12 1s a section taken upon the Figs. 8 and 9;"Fig.

va'nced to disk cutters 8, which sever t'erent positions; Fig. 14 is a section taken upon the line 14-14 otFig. 11 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 15 is a view of a detail; Fig. 16 is a front elevation mechanism shown in 17 is a section taken upon the line 17l7 of Fig. 8, lOOlilllg in the direction of the arrowsg'andl ig. 18 is a View of a detail.

of a portion of the The machine of the present intention is,

tor illust1'atire purposes 1 shown applied to a paper-sheet cutting-and-feeding 1111M hme of well-known type. such as is commonly demp'loy-ed in paper mills to. sever the rolls 2 ofpaper. 1'. that are produced in the paper-making machines, into individual sheets." and to feed and stack the severed sheets intolay-boys Any desired, convenient number ofrolls 2 of paper may he operatedwupon simultaneously in the same -ma1h'ine.= Six such rolls are illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1. The webs 3 oft paper from the rolls 2 are led together to teedrolls 6, lay-which. the paper is adthe paper into longitudinal strips ot 'the desired width. The sever-ed strips are then advanced by feed rolls 10cm 12 to a rotary cutter 16. by which the strips are severed into sheets of the desired length Tapes 18' and ZOt-hen'teed the'sheets into the la boys- 4, which are automatically lowered from time to time to'maintain approxi ,mately uniform the level ot'the sheets that are stacked therein.

The sheets -so stacked in the lay-boys t are separatcd'into hundles"'each containing a predetermined number of the qhects. it is customary to separatethem'into reams of 4180' or :itltlshects. According to the invention that illustrated and described in the ator said application; theshcets are counted automatii'ally. as they are dclircrcdinto the lay-boy {g and thinqpaper tagi's 24;. Figs. 1 and 2. are autoinatically inserted between adjacent, predeterminedsheets at completion of each count. The tag-inserting;

mechanism comprises teed rolls 26 and 27. shown, more particularly in Figs. 8, D and 17. These automati ally advance intermittently. through a guide 28.:1nd between a morahle knife 30 :ind'a stationar knit'c 32 a paper strip 3 lz'that is unwound from a reel 36. The end 38 ot'the paper strip. is thusintermittently advanced. at the proper time. and becomes inserted between adjacent sheets 1 4 and 1.06. .Fig'. 1. o'l the' stack and, after it is severed by the knives 3t) and 32 tonstitutes a tag: 24. Theteed rol 26 is mounted 'uponan end of 'a'hel'l-crank lever 40, intermediately pivoted at t1, and the lit) other end of which is 'springpressed at 42 to cause the feed roll 26 to maintain the paper strip tightly in engagement with the feed roll 27. The feed rolls 26 and 27 are provided with meshing gears and 7. To advance the strip 34, therefore. it is necessary to rotate intermittently the feed roll. 26 only. the feed roll 27 being positively driven hy the gears 5 and 7 from the feed roll 26, and the two rolls positively pulling the strip 34 through between them.

The feed rolls 26 and 27 are situated at the rear end of the guide 28, at a point ust to the rear of and just lelov the upper sheets of the stack of sheets in the lay-boy, and the knife 32 is situated at the other end. A shaft 44, situated to the rear of the guide 28, Pl'OVlClBfl with a gear 126,-lreyed thereto at 226, which driver; the feed rolls i6 and 27 through a train of gearing 128. The train of gearing 128 makes it possible to position the feed rolls 26 and 27 properly, at a distance from the driving shaft 44. By feeding the strip at a point so close to the stack, there is no tendency for the strip to buckle or sag in the guide 28. This obviates danger of the strip getting stuck in the guide, which would prevent the strip from being advanced at all. A lever 31, pivoted at 33, by its own weight presses the strip 34 against a seat- 35 in the bell-crank lever, just to the rear of the feed rolls 26 and 27 the better to guide the strip. The shaft 44 may he intermittently rotated by a continuouslyrotating pawl 46, Figs. 3, 4, 3, 4 and 5, when the latter engages thewalls of a recess 48 provided upon a normally stationary collar member 50 that is fixed to the shaft 44. The recess 48 is thus, in effect, provided upon the shaft 44. The pawl 46 is pivotally mounted at 2 upon a collar 54 that is keyed at 55 to a gear wheel 56. The gear wheel 56, with the collar 54 that is keyed thereto, is loosely mounted upon the shaft 44.. The gear wheel 56 is driven by a gear wheel 58, Fig. 6, from a gear Wheel 60 that is mounted upon a shaft 62. Gear wheels 59 are interposed, as a convenient medium of properly determining the direction and speed of rotation of the gear wheel 56, as is illustrated and described in a copending application Serial No. 664,775, filed September 25, 1923. The shaft 62 may be driven from the shaft of the rotary cutter 16 in any wellknown manner. as, for instance, in the manner illustrated in the said copending applicatious, by a sprocket wheel 64 through the medium of a sprocket chain 66, Figs. 6 and ll,'that is mounted over a sprocket wheel 68 n-ovided upon the shaft of the rotary cutter 16. The rotation of the shaft 62 is, therefore, a measure of the number of sheets that are cut by the knife 16 and delivered into the lay-boy 4. The collar 54, that carries the pawl 46, is thus continuously rotated loosely in a circular path about the shaft 44, from the shaft of the cutter 16, so long as the pawl 46 does not engage the walls of the recess 48. lVhcn the pawl 46 does engage the walls of the recess 48, ln. 'w'cvei.", it will actuate the recess-carrying collar 50; and the shaft 44, to which the recesscarrying collar 50 is secured, will obviously rotate also, causing the feed rolls 26 and 2"? to feed the end 38 of the strip 34 between two adjacent sheels W4 and 106 of the stack, as is ll lustrated in Fig. l. The feeding of the strip 34 is therefore controlled by the continuous l y rotating pawl. 46. Rotation of the shaft 44 in the wrong direction prevented by one or more pawls (not shown) operatiir with graduated effect, upon one or more ratchet wheels (not shown) as is described in the aforesaid applications.

The pawl 46 is normally prevented from entering the recess 48 by a gate 70, Figs. 3, 4, 3, 4 and 5, that is provided upon a collar 72 that is loosely mounted upon the reduced end 74 of the shaft 44. In the position normally occupied by the collar 72 upon the shaft 44, the gate overlies or covers the forward wall 49 of the recess 48, as shown in Fig. 3, in the path of the pawl So long as the gate 7 0 overlies this forward wall 49 of the recess 48, the continuously rotating pawl 46 can not engage this wall 49, but rides idly over the gate. Upon the gate becomingdisplaced from the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 4, the pawl 46, during its next journey around the shaft 44, will be pressed into the recess 48 by a spring 76. The pawl 46, continuing its rotation, will now carry the recess-containing collar 50 with it, and the latter, being secured to the shaft 44, will cause the feed rolls 26 and 27 to advance the end 38 of the strip 34, as above described. Upon reaching the wall 78, Fig. 4, of the gate 70, the pawl 46 will ride out of the recess 48, as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the shaft 44 will cease rotating, and the strip 34 will be no longer advanced. The forward wall. 49 of the recess 48 will thus be left behind the gate 70, in the dotted-line position of Fig. 3*. The pawl 46 will then again continuously rotate idly, as before. It should be noted that when the pawl 46 leaves the forward wall 49 of the recess 48 behind the gate 70, as just described, the shaft 44 has not quite completed a revolution, for the recess 48 occupied originally he position shown in full lines in 4, whereas it now occupies the position shown in Fig. 3. The revolution of the shaft 44 is completed later, as will shortly be described, to effect the actuation of the movable knife 30. g

It will now be necessary to explain how the gate 70 is actuated from the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 4 to uncover the recess 48, and thus permit the pawl 46 to lflil actuate the feed rolls 26a11d 27'by engagi so ,ing the forward wall 49 of the recess 48.

'ing disk 92 and the cam disk 89 are rotated, step by step, as will hereinafter be described, in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 6. lVhen= the sharp, abrupt shoulder 96 reaches the end 88 of the lever 84, a spring 102 will move the lever 84 to cause the end 88 of the lever to engage the wall 100 of therecess 94. The other end of the lever 84 willthus be moved downward, as viewed in Fig. 6, causing the pin 80 to be moved downward also. 1The collar 72 will there- :fore be rocked from the position of Fig. 3

to that of Fig. 4, causing the gate 70 to uncover the recess 48. The pawl 46 will then be enabled to cause actuation ot the feed rolls 26 and 27, asabove described. The downward movement of the lever 84, is, of course, timed to. take place at the end of a cycle of operation of the counter; say, after a ream has been delivered and counted. It is not essentialthat the marker be operated once to every revolution of the cam disk 89,

, for cam disks 89 having a plurality of recesses 94 may be employed, the location of the recess 94, in each case, controlling i the operation of the marker.

; pawl 46 will leave the recess 48 at a timewhen the latter is in the position of Fig. 3

It has been pointed out above that the and bet'ore-the-shai't 44 has made a complete revolution. This nearly complete revolution of thcshai't 44 is effected in about half the time required to i make one delivery into the lay-boy. During this nearly complete revolution of the shatt44, the end 38 of the strip 34 has been rapidly fed from the rear of-the'stack, in a direction at a substantial angle to the horizontal; direction of feed of the sheets, shown nearlyvertical in Figs. 0- and 17, into the path of feed of the next following sheet, which constitutes the first sheet 106 of the next rea'in.. If the end 38 oi. the strip were fed horizontallyforward,

* or at an anglenot suliiciently far from-the horizontal, being constituted of thin paper, it might strike the rear ot the stack of sheets, and not enter between adjacent sheets at all, thus falling to the floor and failing to mark the separating line between the reams. If fed at an angle so near to the horizontal, furthermore, the; tags, it it is succeeded in Tgettin'g them inserted between 7 thus avoided.

plained above.

the sheets, are frequently carried by the sheet 106 so far in between the sheet 104 and the sheet 106 that it is lost to view, and its "function as a marker becomes lost. It is therefore desirable to feed the end 38 of-the strip 34 at a substantial enough angle to the direction of feed, so as to avoid having the strip engage the rear of the stack or to become lost between sheets of the stack. If fed at such angle into the path of feed of the sheet 106, the head of the sheet 106 will be sure to strike it and lay it down flat upon. the last sheet 104 of the ream just completed; which is readily eiiected by the thin, flexible charactor of the strip 34. All possibility of the end 38 of the strip 34 becoming displaced is t is further-more unnecessaryto time accurately the moment when the end of the strip is fed upward, as would bethe case if it were fed horizontally, or nearly so, which timing it is necessary to adjust for sheets of different length. In order to; insure feeding the strip at such angle, an intermediateportion of the guide 28 is curved, so as to rise nearly vertically, as illustrated in Fig. 17 at 29. The end 38 of the sheet is fed upward for a distance suiliciently great so as to make sure that it will rise above the top-sheets ofthe-stack and into the path of travel of thesheet 106.

Then the end 38 has thus been laid flat by thesheet 106 upon the sheet 104, it is still too early to sever it from the strip 34, asthe severing process might pull it out of place. It is preferable to wait until a-number of sheets have been fed forward over the sheet 106; their combinedweight'then serving to hold the end 38 of the strip 34 in place while it is severed. The number of sheets that shall so be fed forward for this purpose depends upon the length of the wall 100 of the recess 94. The cam disk 89 continuing torotate, as the counter continues to count the additional sheets so fed forwarihthe end 88 of the lever 84 will ultimately leave the wall 100 and ride up on'the inclined shoulder 08 ot the recess 94. The other end of the lever will then be returnedupward to its normal positioinshown in Fig. 6, carrying the pin 80 upward with it. -This will have the effect of returning the gate from the position of Figs. 4 and 3 to that of Figs. 3

and 4, uncovering the. forward wall 49 of the recess 48, which at this time occupies the dotted-linc position of Fig. 3", as ex- During the next cycle of rotation of the pawl 46 about the shaft 4-4, therefore, it will engage the forward wall 49 of the recess 48, and thus actuate the recess-carrying disk 50 from the position of F 3" and 4 to the position of Fig. 3. U ponthe-reccss 48 .beingthus returned to the position of Fig. 3, the gate 70, occupying now the position shown in Figs. 4 and 3,

.will again :cause thepawl 46 to leavethe recess 48, and the pawl 46 will. again continue to rotate idly, as before. This con:- pletcs the revolution of the collar 50 and, tl'ierefore. of the shaft 44 to which it is secured. Upon the completion of this revolution, the knife 30 will actuate to sever the end 38 from the strip 34, the severed end constituting one of the tags 24. The lever 84 is thus adapted to occupy two positions successively, in one of which it controls the feed rolls 26 and 27 to insert the end 38 of the strip 34 between adjacent sheets of the stack, and in the other of which it causes the knife 30 to sever the end 88 of the strip, these two positions being controlled by the cam disk 89. The mechanism for operating the knife 30 will now be described.

The knife 30 is adapted to be reciprocated in a vertical plane in guides 108, to cooperate with the stationary knife 32, by a lever 110, one end of which is pivoted at 114 (Figs. 8 and 9) and to the other end of which the knife is connected at 112. An intermediate portion 116 of the lever 110 is adapted to be engaged by a rotary cam 11%. When the recess 48 is moved by the pawl 46 from the full-line position of Figs. 3 and 4 to the full-line position of Fig. 3, th

lever 110 is actuated by the cam 118, in opposition to the force exerted-by a spring 199 to move the knife 30 upwards, as seen in Figs. 9, it} and 17, causing the end 2:18 to become severed from the strip 34. .lt will be noted, from Figs. 8 and 16, that the knives 3t) and 32 are inclined to each other in two planes, so as to provide a very effective, shearing cut. The roll cam 11 is mounted upon a shaft 123 having a gear 124 among the same train of gearing 128 that 'rives the feed rolls 26 and 27 from the .ft. 44. The knife is thus operated in d relation to the operation of the feed 3 and 27 by the shaft 44, which first (um-ates through nearly a complete revolution to cause the feed rolls to feed the strip 34, and then remains stationary until the desired number of sheets have been fed over the sheet 106, and which finally operates through the remainder of its l'QVOlllt-lOn to cz-ause the roll cam 118 to engage the lever 110, thereby causing the knife to sever the end 2-38 from the strip 34. The knife is returned to normal position before the shaft 44 comes to rest. The cam roll 118 is adjustable to adjust the time of operation of the knife 30.

Upon the retreat of the movable knife 30, the new end 38 of the strip 34 is left under the stationary knife 82. Owing to the substantially vertical direction of feeding movement of the end 38 of the strip, there would be a tendency for the stri to strike against the knife 32. and prevent further advance of the end of the strip, at the next feed movement of the feed rolls 26 and 27, To prevent this happening, a lever 37 is adapted to pivot, by its own weight, about a pivotal point 39, so as to enter between the two knives S0 and 32, as is illustrated in Fig. 9, thereby engaging the end 38 of the strip and pushing it forward, beyond and between the knives. The next forward feed movement of the feed. rolls 26 and 27 will therefore result in advancing the end 88 of the strip in a nearly vertical direction, as before described, and as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 9, to one side of the cutter 3,2. The lever 37 is forced out of the way of the movable knife 30, at each upward movement of the same, in any desired manner, preferably by the knife directly engaging the projecting portion 11 of the lever 37 in its upward stroke. If the lever 37 is constituted of soft metal, like lead, it will not'duil or otherwise injure the knife. The return gravity movement of the lever is limited by anintegral projection 13 that is adapted to engage the rear of the knife 32.

It has now been explained how the end 38 of the strip is automatically advanced into position in a direction nearly at right angles tothe direction of feed ofthe sheets so that it may be struck by the first sheet 106 of each new ream and laid flat thereby between adjacent sheets 104 and 106 of ad jacent reams, and how it is then severed from the strip 84, the tag 24 being thus left in place to mark the boundary between the two reams. It has been explained that the successive operations of the feeding and severing mechanisms for the strip 34 are controlled by the end 88 of the lever 84, through the recess 94 in the cam disk 89 that is secured to rotate with the counting disk 92. It will be necessaryto describe also the operation of the counter.

As has been explained above, the shaft of the counter is driven by the sprocket chain (36 from the shaft of the rotary knife 16. The rotation of the shaft 62 is there- .fore timed to the rotation of the rotary knife 16 and is therefore a measure of the number of sheets that are cut by the knife 16 and stacked in the lay-boy, as has al ready been mentioned. The teethof a pinion 150,Figs. 7 and 11, that may be adjustably connected to rotate with the shaft (32, mesh with gear teeth 152 that are provided upon the periphery of the counting disk 92. The angular movementof the counting disk 92 is thus timed with relation to the operation of the knife 16, and may be measured upon a stationary scale154, Fig. 6, extending through an arc of approximately ninety degrees. The counting disk 92 is visible through an opening 156 in the upper portion 202 of the countencontaining framework, so that the degree of angular movement of the counting disk relative to the casing may be read off upon the scale by noting the position, relative to the scale, of one of six indicators'158,,respectively marked 0,1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, upon the front face of the counting disk 92. The parts are so proportioned that each revolution of the shaft of the cutter 16 may effect an angular movement of the counting disk, 92 corresponding to any desired integral number ofsheets from zero to 26, depending upon the adjustable connection of the pinion to the shaft 62.

To thisend, the pinion 150 is not rigidly secured to the continuously rotated shaft 62, but is loosely mounted thereon. A ratchet wheel .160 is fastto the pinion 150 so as to rotate therewith. The operation of the counting disk .92 is thus controlled by the. teeth of the ratchet'wheel 160. The ratchet wheel is intermittently actuated through a predetermined angular extent by a pawl 162. The pawl 162 is pivotally connected at 161 to an end of an arm 166 that is intermediately. fastened to the shaft 62 so as to rotate therewith. As the shaft 62 rotates continuously, therefore, the pawl 162 is continuously rotated in a circular path about the shaft 62 as a center. In some positions of its circumferential movement', thepawl 162 is, actuated by a spring 168 into engagement with-one of the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel 160. The ratchet wheel 160 is then caused to rotate with the pawl162 until a tail 163, Figs. 12 and 18, of the pawl is engaged by an inclined face 170 ofa cam trlack172. The cam track 172 is constituted of, the circular surfaces of segmental disks 180, 182 and 18 1, described below. The pawl 162 is thereupon disengaged from the teeth'of the ratchet .wheel and ridesidly over the cam track 17 2. until, during the next cycle-of its rotation, the pawl is permitted by an abruptshoulder. 174 to-be actuated by the spring-168 into engage mentwith anothertooth of the ratchet, wheel 1.60.: In this manner, the ratchet wheel. is intermittently actuated through an .arc.corresponding 'to' the number of ratchet teeth between the abrupt shoulder 174: and;the inclined face 170, and the counting disk92 is correspondingly controlled .in accordance with the degree of actuationiofthe ratchet wheel. The distance between the abrupt shoulder 17 1 and the inclined'face 170 .may be so adjusted, as to have between them any desired convenient number of teeth of the ratchet wheel 160.; In 12,, thisfldesired number .is shown to be three. During each revolution of the pawl 162,. therefore, the ratchet wheel 160 will be actuated by the pawl 162 through an arc corresponding to three teeth and will cause the counting disk 92, through the pinion 150,- to be moved through an arc, vcorresponding to three sheets, as indicated upon the scale 15%.

'According to the disclosureof the above described application, Serial No. 563,274, but one pawl 162 is employed to actuate the ratchetwheel 160 once corresponding to each rotation of the arm 166. By mounting a plurality of pawls upon the arm 166, all

of them operatingonce during each rotation of the arm 166, the are through which the pawl actuates the ratchet wheel may, be reduced without affecting the accuracy. of the count, and the wear and tear upon the machinery will consequently be reduced. The drawings show two such pawls, the second one being indicated at'165, pivoted upon the arm 166 at a point 167, dian'ietrically opposite the pivotal point 164:. A spring 169 performs for the pawl 165 the function performed for the pawl 162 by the spring 161. The pawl'165 is provided with a tail 171 corresponding to the tail 163 of the pawl 162.

The pawl 162 will actuate the ratchet wheel 160 through an arc corresponding to three teeth, asabove explained, during each rotation of the arm 166. During each such rotation, the pawl 165 will similarly actuate the ratchet wheel 160 through a further arc ,,corresponding to three teeth. During each rotation of the arm 166, therefore, the ratchet wheel 160 will be actuated through an arc corresponding to six teeth, and will cause, the counting disk 92, through the pinion 150, to be moved through an arc corre sponding to six sheets, as indicated upon the scale 15%. This will keep the count accurate, as the sheets are fed by sixes, as illu trated into the lay-boy from the six rolls 2. The step-by-step movement of the counting disk 92 is thus controlled by the action of the pawls-162 and 165, which operate in one direction only, inaccordance with the ope-ration of the cutter 16. Upon each revolution of the pawls 162 and 165, the counting ratchet wheel 160 is moved, always in the same direction through a predetermined angle corresponding to twice the number of teeth-of the ratchet wheel 160 that are exposed between the abrupt shoulder 17& and the inclined shoulder 170. The counting disk 92 is correspondingly moved. Tn practice, the ratchet wheel 160 has a tendency to overrun after the pawl 162 has been disengaged from its teeth by the inclined shoulder 170. This overrunning would be communicated, through the pinion 150, to the counting disk 92, which would destroy the ac- 1 curacy of the count. A friction brake 175 istherefore employed to prevent overrunning of the ratchet wheelt160. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the preferred brake comprises two shoes mouuted to clamp frictionally between them a hub 17 7 that is integral with the counting disk 92. The shoes are yieldingly held together against the hub 177 by coil springs 179 that are mounted over rods 181 between one of the shoes of the brake and nuts 183. The other shoe rests against a portion 185 of the frame work, which prevents rotation of the brake along with the counting disk 92. The frictional effect of the springs 179 is sutlicient to prevent over-running of the ratchet wheel and, therefore, of the counting disk 92. The various parts of the counter operate always in the same direction of operation throughout, and they thus operate to just the proper degree.

The degree of angular movement of the ratchet wheel 160 tl at is effected upon each revolution of the pawls .162 and may be adjusted during the operation of the machine by a handle 176, Figs. 6, 10 and 11. This handle is rigidly secured at 178 to the segmental disk 180, the are of the segment of which is approximately 120 degrees. Together with the two other, similar, segmental disks 182 and 184C, in side-by-side relation. the disk is mounted, upon the shaft 652, as shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 18, the disks 180 and 182 loosely, and the disk 18 1 live dly. The intermediately positioned disk 182 is provided upon one face with a pin 186 that projects into an arcuate opening 188 01' the disk 180. The disk 182 is similarly pro vided upon its opposite face with a similar pin 190 projecting into similar arcuate opening 192 of the disk 184-. The disks may therefore be angularly moved relatively to each other about the sl'iaft 62 by means ofthe handle 1%, the pins 186 and 190 riding freely in the respective openings 188 and 192. By moving the handle in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 12, therefore, the distance between the abrupt shoulder 174 and the iiiclined face 170 may be increased. By moving it in the opposite direction, the distance may be decreased. T he predetern'iined number of counting-dislecontroliing teeth of the ratchet wheel 160 that are exposed between the abrupt shoulder 174 and the inclined face 170 may therefore be varied, at will. from Zero to the number found in an arc of approximately 240 degrees. This corrcsponds to an intermittent feed of from zero to sheets, corresponding to each revolution of the pawls 162 and 165. The segmental disks 180, 182 and 184- may he maintained in adjusted position by a springpressed plunger 19%, Fig. 11, engaging in any one of a number of openings 196, corresponding to th adjustable positions of the handle 176. In practice, the handle 176 will be adjusted to the number corresponding to the variable number of rolls of paper 2, or of the superposed webs 3, that at any one time supply material to the machine. tflix such rolls are shown in Fig. 1, and the handle 176 will therefore be set to the numeral 6 in Fig. 6. so that six sheets may be regi tered by the counter disk 92 upon each rotation of the shaft of the cutter 16. Half sheets,

reams may obviously be marked by setting the handle 176 to cause the counter to count double, and so for other multiples also.

The scale shown in Big. 6, with which the handle 17 6 cooperates, does not exactly harmonize with other parts of the drawings, for it should be spaced for fifty teeth in the ratchet. In its illustrated form, however, it better illustrates the principle of operation; and, obviously, the gearing could be so designed as to render the scale accurate.

The counter may be adjusted during the operation of the machine to count in any desired multiples. If it is desired to count by fives instead of by sixes, for example, all that the operator has to do is to move the handle 176 from the position numbered 6 in Fig. 6 to the position numbered 5, and to permit the spring-pressed plunger 194 to become seated in the corresponding opening 196. As is explained in the introductory re marks, however, not all multiples will yield a strictly accurate ream count, when a par-- ticular counting disk 92 is employed. Using the counting disks that are illustrated and described in the above-named application, Serial No. 563,274, some reams may have more than the required number of sheets, and others less. According to the present invention, llOV/GVGI, the reams will all have the same number of sheets, though this number may be greater than the number that a ream ordinarily contains.

According to the specific embodiment of the invention that is herein illustrated and described, the counting disk 92 is provided with a number of teeth greater than the number that corresponds to a ream. The count will begin at the indicator 158 that is marked 0 in Fig. 6, and will continue through the indicators marked 1, 2, 3 and 4-, which correspond to 100, 200, 300 and 100 respectively, until the indicator marked 5 is reached, corresponding to 500 sheets. If the multiple according to which the count is made results in a ream contaii'iing more than 500 sheets, the counting disk 92 will occupy a LN'H-iltltlll, just at the end of the tag-inserting 'o x-aration, such that the index 230 will lie between the indicators marked 5 and 0. The counting disk 92 is then bodily moved in the same direction until the indicator marked 0 is opposite the index 230. The count may then be proceeded with just as before, the counting disk 92 being returned to its initial position at the end of each ream count.

For eXample,-if the sheets are to be delivered by sixes, as illustrated, let it be as sumed that the O indicator 158 is initially placed opposite the index 230, and the handle 176 opposite the muneral G in Fig. 6.

Six sheets will now le registered by the counter disk 92 upon each rotation of the shaft of the cutter 16. After 83 rotations lit) of the cutter 16, 498 sheets 'will have been delivered intothe lay-boy 4, and the index. 230 will occupy a positioncorresponding to 49S upon the counter disk:92. Atter84 rotations of the'counter disk 92, the 5 indicator 158 will have traversed-beyond the in dex 230, thelatter, in fact, then occupying a position corresponding to 594 sheets. The tag-inserting mechanism then operates to place a tag 24 upon the top sheet of the50-l= sheet ream thus produced; Before starting to count thenextream,.howev.er, thecounter. disk-92 will be bodily moved so as to cause the 0 indicator 158 to register-once more. with the index 230. Every ream thus pro,- duced will contain exactly 594 sheets- Of course, the principle'ot operation will he the sameqirrespective of the number of sheets that are deliveredat any one time into the lay-boy. All that is essential-- is that the are between the indicators 158, 1 marked 5 and 0 be large enough to accent-- modate the number of sheets in excess of a correctly counted ream that the machine is likely to produce. It is seldom feasibleor desirable to teed more than twelve sheets at atime. The maximum are required between the indicators marked 5 and O for any. multiple not greater than twelve, either "for a 500-sheet-ream counting disk 92 or a 480- sheet-ream counting disk 92'is an arc cor-. responding to but six sheets. The excess six sheets will :be obtained when eleven sheets aredelivered at a time, using a. 500- sheet-ream counter, and when, nine sheets are delivered at a time, using a 480-sheetream counter. 92 may be replaced for another having a greater are between the marked 5 and 0, if such is desired.

The preferred mechanism torpertormi-ng theabove-des ribed function will now be GX-, plained. The counting disk-92 is provided with a circumferential recess 232, shown moreparticularly in Fig. 14. A pawl 234" is adapted to enter the recess 232 and to engage a shoulder 236 of the recess. 1 The pawl is pivot-ally carried at the end 238 of a lever. 240, and is adapted to be spring-pressed at 242 into the recess 232. By actuating the lever 240 upward,-theretore, as viewed in Of course, one counting disk 1 screw.- By thisconstructiom-the end 88 of the lever 84 will be prevented from entering the recess 232 and the pawl 234 fromentering the recess 94. In practice, the recess .232 may be provided upon a projection mounted upon the-counting disk It is now necessary. to describe the mechanism for actuating the lever 240, upon the end 238 of which the pawl 234 is pivoted. The other end 244 of the lever 240 is pivoted to the frame work of the machine. An intermediate portion 246 of the lever is adapted to be engaged by cam portions 248 and 250 of the arm 1G6, causing the lever 240 to be raised. During each revolution of the arm 166, therefore, thezlever 24(lis raised twice, falling by gravity into contact with a set screw 260 each time that the cam 24S or the cam rides beyond the lever.

So long as the recess 232 is out of reach of the pawl 234, the pawl rides idly up and down. As soon as the recess 232 is actuated into range of the pawl 234, however, the up movement of .the pawl 234 will cause the counting disk 92 to be returned to its initial position. The counting disk will always he returned to the same initial position, irrespective of the particular position adjacent-to the pawl 234 that the. recess 232 may 0ccupythatis, irrespective of how many sheets more than 500 a counted ream may contain, as indicated. by the position of the 5 indicator158 relative to the index1230. This is because theupper limit of movement of the lever 240 is always the same.

The. limits of movement, up and down,

of the pawl 234 may, however, be adjusted. indicators I 158 Adjustment is sometimes necessary to allow for wear and the like. The intermediate portion 246 of the lever 240 is provided with an elongated opening 252, shown more particularly in Fig. 11, into which extends 'one end of a stud 254, upon the other end of which is mounted aroll 256. The cams 248 and 250 engagethe roll directly. The stud is secured in the elongated opening 252 by upper and lower set screws 258. By loosening one set screw 258 and tightening another, the vertical position of the stud 254 and, therefore, of theroll 256, may be Fig. 14, the pawl234 will be caused to moveadjustechcausing corresponding adjustment upward also, forcing the shoulder 236 up ward. The upwardtorce thus exerted upon r is shown in Fig. llas provided'ina second disk 89'secured-to the counting disk 92 by a in the movement of the pawl 234.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact embodiment that is herein illustrated and described, and is subject to modification and change by persons skilled in the art. 7 All such modifications and changes are considered to be with in the spirit of the invention, and the scope of the invention isdefined by the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is: 1. A machine or the class describedhavmg, 111,,C01'Hb111i1t1011, a counter adapted to lPO occupy an initial position, means for actuating the counter from the initial position to count a plurality of units, the counter being adapted to be actuated from the initial position to a degreecorresponding to a plurality of units that is not a multiple of the first-named plurality of units, and means for returning the counter to the initial position upon the actuation of the counter from.

the initial position to the said degree.

2. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a counter having a counting element adapted to occupy an initial position, means for actuating the counting element from the initial position step by step to count a plurality of units at each step, the counting element being adapted to be actuated from the initial position to a degree corresponding to a plurality of units that is not a multiple of the firstnamed plurality of units, and means for returning the counting element to the initial position upon the actuation of the counting element from the initial positionto the degree.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a centrally pivoted counting disk adapted to occupy an initial position, means for rotating the disk from the initial position about its pivot step by step to count a plurality of units at each step, the disk being adapted to be rotated about its pivot from the initial position to a degree corresponding to a plurality of units that is not a multiple of the firstnamed plurality of units, and means for completing the rotation of the disk through out 860 degrees to cause the disk to return to the initial position upon the rotation of the disk from the initial position to the said degree.

4. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a centrally pivoted counting disk adapted to occupy an initial position and to be rotated about its central pivot to a degree corresponding to a predetermined are along its circumference, the disk having a recess in its circumference positioned at the limit of the are, means for rotating the disk from the initial posi tion step by step to count a plurality of the units at each step, a pawl, and means for causing the pawl to enter the recess and for actuating the pawl to rotate the disk through an are equal to 360 degrees minus the first-named arc to cause the disk to return to the initial position upon the actuation of the disk a number of steps corresponding to the first-named arc.

A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pivoted counting disk, means for rotating the disk about its pivot to a degree corresponding to a predeteriined arc along its circumt'erence, the disk being adapted to berotated about its pivot beyond the limit of the said are, and means for rotating the disk to a predetermined position beyond the said limit of the arc upon the rotation of the disk to the said limit of the arc.

G. A machine ot the class described having, in combination, a counter [having' a counting element adapted to occupy an initial position and to be actuated to count a plurality of units, means for actuating the counting element from the initial position step by step, and means for actuating the counting element to the initial position upon the actuation of the counting element a predetern'iined distance less than a step in excess of a whole number of steps.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a counter adapted to occupy an initial position and to be actuated to count aplurality of units, a pawl for actuating the counting element from the initial position step by step, and a pawl for actuating the counting element to the initial position upon the actuation of the counting element a predetermined number of steps.

8. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a counter adapted to occupy an initial position, means for actuating the counter from the initial positionto count a plurality of units, the counter being adapted to be actuated from the initial position to a degree corresponding. to a plurality of units that is not a multiple of the first-named plurality of units, means for actuating the counter to the initial posi tion upon the actuation of the counter from the initial position to the said degree, and means controlled by the first-named means for actuating the second-named means.

9. A machine of the classdescribed having, in combination, a counter adapted to occupy an initial position and to be actuated to count a plurality of units, a pawl for actuating the counting element from the initial position step by step, a pawl for actuating the counting element to the initial position, an element upon which the first-named pawl is mounted, an element upon which. the second-named pawl is mounted, and means controlled by the first-named element for actuating the second-named element.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a counting disk having a gear and a recess, a gear meshing with the counting-disk gear, a ratchet movable with the meshing gear, a pawl for engaging the teeth of the ratchet, whereby actuation of the pawl effects actuation of the counting disk, a pawl adapted to enter the recess when the recess occupies a predetermined position, and means controlled by the firstnamed pawl for actuating the secondnamed pawl to cause thesecond-named pawl to engage the walls of the recess to etiect actuation of the counting disk.

a pawl pivoted upon the lerer adapted to enter the recess when the recess occupies a predetermined position, the cam being adapted to engage the lever to en ect' actuation of the second-named pawl to causethe second-named pawl to engage the walls of the recess to effect actuation of: the'oounting' disk.

12; A method of counting comprising actuating acounter from. an initial position step by step to count a plurality of units at each step, thecounter being, adapted: to-

be actuated: from the initial position to a degree corresponding to a plurality of units that is not-a multiple of: thefi'rst'rnamed plurality of'units, andireturning-the counter to the initial position-upon the artuation oi the counter fnomthe initial position to the said degree.

13. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for operating upon articles in groups, and; a. counter tor;

counting the number. of articles-that are oper ted upon, the counter comprising a counting element, and-means for actuating the counting element a plurality or" times corresponding to each. operation: upon. the

articlesto count a p'lurality'of unitsat each actuation. of the counting element, the phi-- ralitv o-i times being equal to'the number'otr lingteeth of thecounting element to actuate the' counting element, the parts being ad justable during the operation of the counter to effect the actuation of the counting ele ment by each pawl to aproportional degree corresponding to a predetermined number of the controlling teeth otthe counting element.

15. A counter having, in combination, a counting tooth-controlled disk, a plurality of pawls movable in one direction only along a circumference to engage the controlling teeth of the counting disk to actuate the counting disk, and-means whereby each pawl is adaptedto actuate the-counting disk to a proportional degreecor-responding to a predetermined number of the controlling teeth ot the counting'disk upon each movement oi each pawl throughout the circum- 'tcrence.

16, A counter having, in combination, a

counting disk havingagea-r, a gear mesh ing with the counting-disk gear, a ratchet. movable with the meshing gear, a plurality of pawls for" engaging the teeth of the ratchet, where-by actuation of the pawls effeots the actuation ot the counting disk, a track located along a portion of the periphery ot the ratchet, and means for actuating the pawls along the periphery of the ratchet,.the pawls being-adapted to run idly along the track during their actuation over the said portion of the periphery of the ratchet, whereby each pawl is adapted to actuate the ratchet through an angle corresponding to a proportional part of: the remaining portion of the periphery of the ratchet upon each actuation of each pawl.

17. A counter having, in combination, a shaft adapted to be continuously rotated,

an arm extending from and rotating with the shaft, a plurality of pawls mounted upon the arm, a ratchetwheel loosely mountedon the shaftthe teeth of whiclr are adapted to be engaged by the pawls, whereby the ratchet wheel is adapted to be rotated about the shaft by the pawls, a pin: r-ality of segmental members having cam tracks over which the pawls are adapted to ride idly, the-segmental members being adjustable toexpose a variable number of teeth of the ratchet wheel, whereby each pawlis adapted to actuate the ratchet wheel through an arc c-orrespondingto a proportional part of the number of teeth exposed upon' eaoh rotation of the pawl, a pinionsecured to-theratchet wheel soas to rotate therewith, a counting disk having gear teethmeshing with the te'eth'ot the pinion, and an indicator for the counting disk.

18; A method of counting a number of articles that are simultaneously operated upon in groups comprising actuating a counter from aninitial position step by step, each step of actuation of the counter corresponding to an operation upon the articles, the counter counting aplurality of units at each step, the counter being adapted=to beactuated from-the initial position to a degree corresponding to a plurality of units that isnot a" multiple of the first-named plurality of units, and returning the counter to the initial position upon the actuation of the counter to the said degree.

19. A machine of the class describedhav ing, in combination, means foroperating plurality of times being equal to the number of articles in each group divided by the plurality of units that are counted at each actuation of the counter, the counting eleinent being adapted to be a ctuated from the initial position to a degree corresponding to a plurality of units that is not a multiple of the first-named plurality of units,

and meansi'or returning; the counting element to the initial position upon the actuation of the counting element to the said degree.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day of July,

CHARLES B. MAXSON. 

